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No one wants to pack everything up, sort through all of their possessions, donate the stuff, all while keeping the house tidy for showing.

To help get you through this stressful and time-consuming process, I created a checklist to guide you. The tips I compiled may even help you save some money!

Step 1: Decide what to keep and what to give away.

You don’t want to pack up all the baggage you have been storing and move it into your new home. First, sort through it all and get rid of what you don’t need. Anything you haven’t used or thought of in months, donate! Ramona Food and Clothes accepts donations and gives back to the community. Drop off what you don’t need there to lighten your load AND feel good about it.

PLUS, you save money not paying for boxes and moving trucks for stuff you won’t even need.

Step 2: Prepare your home for sale.

Consider what potential buyers are looking for. Try to make your home look as neutral as possible. You want them to walk in and be able to imagine their life instead of seeing yours.

Walk through your home and scan the rooms for things you can remove to create a clean and simple look. Minimal is in!

Step 3: Start packing.

Now that you have decluttered, get those boxes ready! With some of your lesser used belongings packed up, your home may even show better. Be sure to store packed boxes in spaces that won’t be an eyesore to potential buyers.

Step 4: Make your home shine.

You have packed up a bit, now get to cleaning. Try to really pay attention to the details. Scrub the floorboards, wipe the dust off the ceiling fans, and clean the stove top. You want everything to look spotless. Don’t forget to light a candle or spray something nice in your bathroom to really put the cherry on top.

Step 5: Show time!

You are ready to sell! Your home will be welcoming, clean, and neutral which all buyers love.

I hope you enjoyed these tips and save some money in the process. If you put in the work before listing it on the market, you may even pull in more offers! Contact Regina Flores Real Estate Group if you want more help listing your home.

I want to show you a place important to our office. The Ramona Food & Clothes Closet does so much for the local community. Every holiday season we host a canned food and toy drive for their Christmas Program. Let’s take a tour and learn what exactly it is that they do!

Vesna Curry, the manager of stores and products at Ramona Food & Clothes Closet, is going to show us around! Vesna loves helping the company give back to the community. Their motto is “Because you gave, we can give.”

In 1982 a group of churches got together to address the need for foods and services in the Ramona area. They began collecting and grew a huge surplus. In order to continue benefitting the community, in 1983 they took the surplus and decided to create an organization. For the past 35 years, Ramona Food & Clothes Closet has been in business!

All the proceeds from sales go back into the community through grants, educational scholarships, homeless programs, and emergency assistance. They gave out $77,000 last year alone! About half of that money went to scholarships for local children. The rest went towards community projects and outreach.

They even loan out medical equipment! Just last year, they loaned out 490 pieces of medical equipment.

The heart of Ramona Food & Clothes Closet is the food pantry. They partner with San Diego Food Bank, Feeding San Diego, and Take A Bite Out Of Waste to hand out food to local residents.

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints contributed $600 worth of food for the Christmas Program. Over 90 other groups participate, including us at Regina Flores Real Estate Group!

Regina Flores Real Estate Group is so thankful to have the Ramona Food & Clothes Closet in our community.

On today’s episode of Ramona Revealed, we are popping just across the street from my office to Marinade on Main. This restaurant is truly one of my favorite spots, and not just for the convenience! I love all the fresh flavors and local produce.

They make basically everything from scratch! From their marmalade to all the breakfast baked goods, it’s all made in house. They locally source produce, meats, and eggs from nearby farms.

The head chef Jessica and her husband chose to open a restaurant in Ramona because their families live in the area and they love the community. She went to culinary school at Le Cordon Bleu and worked at high-end restaurants in Las Vegas before opening Marinade.

Jessica wanted to open a boutique restaurant so she could highlight local flavors and really focus in on all the details.

Katie, who manages the front of house, takes great care of all the customers who come in. She loves seeing familiar faces and knowing that she is serving the most high-quality food.

You can tell Jessica loves cooking and coming up with new menu items. In her previous experience in Las Vegas, Jessica would have to present new entrees to a board who would then vote. By the time the process was complete, oftentimes the produce would no longer be in season!

Now, Jessica gets to decide what to create with fresh, seasonal fruits and vegetables every day in her daily specials. The fresh flavors really shine through in everything on the menu.

If you are a health food junkie, there are plenty of tasty options. Around lunch time, we recommend giving the health bowl lunch special a try. We particularly enjoyed the Mediterranean inspired flavors.

If you haven’t stopped by Marinade on Main for lunch, make sure you do! You won’t be disappointed.

In this episode on Ramona Revealed, we are talking with James Murray, the chef at Pete’s BBQ. As you drive into town on the 78, the delicious smell of barbeque will get your stomach rumbling.

Pete’s BBQ is a real hidden gem in Ramona. You will find it at the back of Ramona Liquor. James partnered with a community entrepreneur to combine his culinary talent with business savvy. The two took the idea of putting a food stop in a liquor store from Texas where it is more common.

The difference between Pete’s BBQ and a standard barbeque joint is the Mexican twist. James took American barbeque classics and added them to local specialties like tacos, burritos, and carne asada fries.

If Mexican or barbeque aren’t your favorites, James also makes killer gyros! You will even find lamb and pastrami on this extensive menu.

James recommends giving the ribs, pulled pork, or brisket a try. He cooks the meats for 13 hours so it is juicy and tender. The meat isn’t the only thing that shines on this menu. The sides are pretty great too! The mac and cheese is delicious, plus you can get it with pulled pork.

James loves to see customers walk in with big smiles on their faces, especially if they look excited to eat.

After watching James smoke ribs all afternoon I can assure you, you won’t want to pass up this BBQ stop on your next drive through town.

A tip from locals: they serve beer!

If you can’t make it over to visit Pete’s in person, try ordering their barbeque to cater your next event. Your guests will not be disappointed.

Welcome to a special Friends of the Neighborhood edition of Ramona Revealed.

Today, I am showing you around Sara Rise’s boutique which recently relocated to Poway. I love picking up my custom-made essential oils distilled with quality ingredients just for me. Let’s check out their new place!

Unique Boutique lives up to its name! It is truly one of a kind. Plus, Sara and Deb had the idea of Unique Boutique through Divine Intervention. The idea to open the shop came over Thanksgiving.

When you walk in, you can feel the energy from the crystals, essential oils, and various healing products. Mother-daughter duo, Sara and Deb, enjoy introducing clients to the benefits nature has to offer.

The boutique is an extension of Return to Wholeness, a Center for Holistic Health and Healing. The ladies wanted to bring their knowledge of the metaphysical world to Poway. This New Age center is stocked to the brim with candles, metaphysical books, local art, and of course incense.

A big part of the Unique Boutique’s purpose is providing education. The owners want visitors to explore concepts of healing beyond Western medicine. They like to focus on everything the earth has to offer.

Sara creates her own essential oils. She releases her products in store and on Etsy. Her product line, Sara Rise Aroma Alchemist, is 100% therapeutic grade essential oils. She spent a year in Sedona learning how to grow and distill the oils to ensure they are top quality. The oils are blessed with intentions to support you on your healing journey.

There is so much positivity and healing in this space! You have to check it out and tell them Regina sent you.

Welcome to another episode of Ramona Revealed. Today we are going to talk about a local staple that can kick start your morning.

Do you ever need a morning jolt, but don’t have the energy to drive across town? Java Hut can whip up your favorite coffee drink while providing friendly, local service. Located in the heart of the San Diego Country Estates, this coffee shop has firmly built a following in the hearts of the Ramona community.

I talked with the owner of Java Hut, Bob Murray. You will find everything a chain coffee shop has on the menu, but if you buy from Java Hut you are truly supporting the Ramona community.

Bob loves being a part of Ramona. He enjoys especially enjoys being involved and giving back. Java Hut gives scholarships and grants to improve the lives of students in Ramona.

You will always get friendly service in this Estates gem. Customers can enjoy their cup of jo while taking in the scenic beauty. Being located across from a golf course has its perks.

Bob is deeply invested in Ramona. He is an active member with the Chamber of Commerce, the Rotary, the VFW, and our local school (go Bulldogs!).

If you are looking for a place that feels like home, Java Hut will be your new go-to. Not only is the coffee hot, it is served with a smile.

Visit Java Hut and support your local small business. Be sure to tell Bob we say hello!

Don’t forget to grab a punch card! If you buy 10 drinks, you will get one free.

Our real estate group loves working with this local custom print shop. They help us with all of our custom needs including embroidered decals and more. Bonez marketing is a one-stop marketing shop. They can brand everything you can think of from hats to horse blankets!

Running a business is hard work, and it doesn’t leave much room for “Me Time”. But when I do get some time, I go to this really cool place right here in Ramona. I love it so much so that I couldn’t wait to feature it right here on Ramona Revealed. We’re visiting Skin by Dayree at 713 D street suite C in Ramona!

It is no secret that a good education has the power to change a life. In today’s ever changing world, one thing that isn’t going away is the importance of STEM because it has such a huge impact on our lives, and the need for a solid foundation in STEM is going to be so important for young people in the future. In case you aren’t familar with it, STEM stands for science, technology, engineering, and mathematics. Because I believe that, we’re featuring the STEM Studio of Ramona this week on Ramona Revealed.Read more